Net-worth and self-worth: what is difference?

[coberst]

Net-worth and self-worth: what is difference?

The difference between net worth and self worth to my mind rests on that which is extrinsic and intrinsic to our humanity.

Abraham Maslow defined a hierarchy of needs to be:
1) Biological and Physiological (water, food, shelter, air, sex, etc.)
2) Safety (security, law and order, stability, etc.)
3) Belonging and love (family, affection, community, etc.)
4) Esteem (self-esteem, independence, prestige, achievement, etc.)
5) Self-Actualization (self-fulfillment, personal growth, realizing personal potential, etc.)

I think that the needs 1 thru 3 are extrinsic needs. While needs 4 and 5 are to a large degree intrinsic needs. They are intrinsic in the sense that we can survive without fulfilling such needs but they are needs that will enhance our sense of self worth.

Capitalism tends to accentuate needs 1 thru 3 with little thought to 4 and 5 because such an economic system recognizes little about anything but net worth. Net worth is valuable especially if it allows us to accomplish needs 4 and 5.

“Presupposition that the work of art, as an autonomous organism, stands beside nature on equal terms and, in its deepest essence, devoid of any connection with it, in so far as by nature is understood the visible surface of things.” Wilhelm Worringer author of Abstraction and Empathy

 

[Penumbra]

One could define net-worth to be how worthwhile you are to other people, your society, and the universe, and self-worth to be how worthwhile you consider your own existence to be. That's basically how I view it.

Net-worth is huge or tiny depending on the scale of the environment that you consider. For instance, to someone's immediate family, a person is basically priceless. The loss of that individual would be catastrophic for them. Then consider a scenario where the environment is increased from family to society. Depending on how much a person contributes, their society may or may not feel an impact from their loss. If a great politician, celebrity, writer, artist, scientist, civic leader, or other such person dies, nation-wide or world-wide mourning could occur. If some random, unknown person dies, far fewer people will care. Then consider a scenario where the environment is increased from society to the universe. No matter who you are, the universe is basically unaffected by your death. If Earth were destroyed, the Andromeda galaxy wouldn't even notice. So net-worth is entirely scale-dependent.

Self-worth is how valuable you view your own life to be. Even someone who, in the previous examples, would die unnoticed, still can have a very large sense of self-worth and personal fulfillment in life.

-Lyn

 

[coberst]

My point is that capitalism tends to form an ideology focused upon net worth without consideration about self-worth. Cultural anti-intellectualism is an example. Our educational system teaches us the things that we need to know in order to help maximize production and consumption with little regard for teaching us what we need to know to establish self-esteem beyond the acquisition of consumer goods. Our educational system does not produce graduates who are prepared to become self-actualizing independent critical thinking well adjusted individuals.

 

[Penumbra]

My point is that capitalism tends to form an ideology focused upon net worth without consideration about self-worth. Cultural anti-intellectualism is an example. Our educational system teaches us the things that we need to know in order to help maximize production and consumption with little regard for teaching us what we need to know to establish self-esteem beyond the acquisition of consumer goods. Our educational system does not produce graduates who are prepared to become self-actualizing independent critical thinking well adjusted individuals.

You asked what the difference is between net-worth and self-worth, but you had a point to make behind the question instead of being interested in people's opinions on the subject. From reading your initial post I was tempted to disagree with your view on capitalism but decided against it. Since you bring it up again, I'll give my two cents.

Firstly, I disagree with your view that capitalism only cares about net worth and produces only graduates that lack self-esteem or critical thinking skills. I mean, in high school I had classes on existentialism, chess playing, European history, reading analysis of books like Scarlet Letter or Fahrenheit 451 (which is a book about the future where critical thought is outlawed and book burning takes place), and that sort of thing. How does that prepare me for the acquisition for consumer goods?

Secondly, I'm curious as to why you focus on capitalism as the problem. The government runs schools. Which method of government would produce superior educational results, and how do you prove that politics are directly related to what is learned in the classroom? (Also, if anything, I'd say #4 on your list of needs is pretty high on the list of capitalism and therefore not in any way excluded from it. Achievement, independence, prestige, and self-esteem are rather emphasized in capitalism if anything.)

-Lyn

 

[coberst]

Penumbra

I focus on capitalism because here in the US capitalism is the dominate ideology, as such few people ever question it.

 

[The Nihilist]

The main difference is that my self-worth is considerably higher

 

[Eudaimonist]

Capitalism tends to accentuate needs 1 thru 3 with little thought to 4 and 5 because such an economic system recognizes little about anything but net worth.

Complete and utter B.S. Try questioning your own dogmas for a change. Take the blinders off!

Capitalist cultures value self-worth in the very least because self-actualizing employees are better employees. If you were hiring, would you choose the employee with a low self-esteem, or a high self-esteem? Would you choose the employee who is self-actualizing, or not self-actualizing? If you are a rational employer, you will aim for high self-worth.

Furthermore, if you were an entrepreneur and starting your own business, wouldn't you want to increase your own sense of self-worth? You would depend on this for your success and satisfaction with your business.

But I find that capitalist cultures value self-worth for reasons that have little to do with economics, such as in personal relationships. Values in capitalist cultures are not determined solely by economic relationships. The individualism found therein often values self-worth for reasons that have little to do with economy.

It takes an odd blindness of dogma to fail to see just how popular books about self-esteem and other forms of self-worth are in capitalist cultures. They are far more popular in America than in Sweden, I can tell you that! It is in America where you find an appreciation for people of high self-worth and accomplishment. Socialist-egalitarian nations such as Sweden are still infected by tall poppy syndrome (referred to as Jante's Law) in which people are afraid to have (or at least to show) more self-worth than anyone else.

American-style individualism makes self-worth possible as a personal goal!


eudaimonia,

Mark